For the Love of God
by criminalxxxmindsxxxfreak
Summary: The team is called to New York on a brutal serial killer case. Someone is torturing random people for no apparent reason. Reid and Morgan-centric. Case fic. WARNING: bloody crime scenes; language; violence
1. New York Has A Serial Killer

**A/N: YES! Look at that, it took… several months but I finally got around to writing that prequel to "New York" If any of you read that, thanks and thanks to anyone who reviewed and favorited it as well… If you didn't read it, that's ok, it's not really necessary to understand this; "New York" is basically like a short little addendum to this story anyway…**

**WARNING: mentions of torture; blood; gory crime scenes; mild language; eventual Reid/OC - very MILD pairing, almost non-existent really…**

* * *

"_Monsters exist. Ghost exist too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win." _**-Stephen King**

* * *

Ch. 1: New York Has a Serial Killer

Reid was almost late for work as he hurried into the BAU, coffee in hand, and sat down at his desk. He'd had trouble sleeping the night before, another nightmare had kept him up… but it was nothing that he couldn't handle.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't you, Pretty Boy?" Morgan teased, looking up from a report he was finishing. "Late night?"

Reid just glared at him before picking up one of the files in a stack on his desk and dutifully beginning to work. He hadn't gotten very much done when JJ rushed out of her office, files weighing her down, and motioned for them to get to the conference room. "New York has another serial killer," was all she said in explanation.

Sighing, Morgan, Prentiss and Reid tossed the folders back onto their desks and followed her. New York again… why did it always seem like there were so many crazy people killing in New York?

~/.\~

They all sat down around the table and glanced at the screen as JJ clicked the remote… "In the past four months, three people have been found beaten, tortured, shot and impaled in New York alleys."

"Impaled?" Morgan asked, frowning at the photos of the bloodied and beaten victims.

"Local FBI agents and CSIs haven't found out exactly what weapon is used, but the cause of death in all three victims was the piercing of the heart. It wasn't a knife or a screw driver, the weapon was apparently smooth, sharp and slightly rounded… So far they haven't got any leads." JJ explained.

"FBI? New York FBI called us in?" Rossi asked, frowning. It was hard enough for police departments and detectives to ask for their help; they didn't get a lot of other FBI branches calling them.

"Yeah. The case is being headed by SSA Dr. Alexzandria Black. She said she's at a dead end and is desperate."

"She?" Morgan grinned, "Well that explains it. Women aren't usually as resistant to ask for help when they need it. Men are."

"Yeah, well, they need it." JJ said. "The victims are Avery Johns, age 34, Hannah Carlson, age 28, and Brad Tillman, age 45."

"Victimology is all over the place…" Hotch frowned. "That doesn't make sense, didn't you say these people were tortured?"

JJ nodded, "Badly. They were stabbed, cut, beaten, burned… electrocuted. But there was no sign of sexual assault. Avery Johns was missing for three days before he was found. Hannah Carlson, two weeks. And Brad Tillman, nine days."

"Why the different amounts of time spent torturing?" Prentiss wondered aloud. "This unsub isn't very consistent…"

"Not in victimology, or the time he spends torturing. But in methodology, he never wavers." Reid pointed out, studying the file in front of him. "They were taken from outside of their homes at night, all were shot once in the stomach, probably to subdue them, indicating the unsub couldn't restrain them on his own, all were kept for numerous days, while being beaten, stabbed, electrocuted and eventually impaled."

"So these crimes aren't sexual…" Morgan murmured. "Gender and age doesn't matter… it's got to be something else then. But what…?"

Hotch frowned, looking down at the file and back up at the gruesome photos, "Looks like we're going to New York." he said. "Wheels up in twenty."

**~/.\~**

The New York field office was bustling with activity when they arrived and were directed to a large office on the fourth floor, the name "Alexzandria Black" printed in the brass nameplate on the door and empty desk inside. "So, where is she?" Morgan asked, looking around at the wall behind the desk and the two photos sitting in the corner. He whistled, "She's got a doctorate in psychology." he said, reading the framed document before picking up one of the picture frames.

"And she doesn't like people going through her stuff," a male voice behind them said. They turned around and were greeted by a tall, gruff looking man with graying hair. "I'm Jack Vance," he said, shaking hands with Hotch. "Alex should be here soon. Oh, and when you meet her, remember, it's Alex, not Alexzandria."

"What about Agent Black?" Hotch asked, frowning.

"You can probably get by with that, just don't call her Alexzandria." Jack said, making sure to get the point across. "She doesn't like it."

"Why not, it's her name?" Reid frowned.

"It's her name, but it's also a 'feminine' name, and those are her words, not mine. Don't even try it. A slip, she'll forgive, you do it on purpose and you'd better hope you've got insurance." the agent warned them.

Morgan chuckled, "Sounds like the girl's got a temper."

Jack smiled slightly, "Only if you piss her off." he said. "Which, is easy to do these days."

"Why's that?" Hotch asked, frowning.

"Well, on top of these murders, her husband died about ten months ago in a car accident and… it's not easy to be a single mom." Jack explained. "Which reminds me, don't mention her husband either."

"We're here to help solve these murders, not make friends." Hotch said, frowning. "She called us here."

"Yeah, she's not exactly happy about that. She's got this… pride issue. But she's smart enough to know when she needs help."

"Why isn't she here, exactly?" Rossi asked, frowning.

"There was another body found about an hour ago -"

"There was another murder and she didn't tell us!" Hotch snapped, sounding angry now.

"Well, you were already on your way here, she was going to tell you when you got here -"

"Where is it?" Hotch interrupted him, scowling. The rest of team looked uncomfortable, knowing what it felt like to be a victim of that glare and glad it wasn't them.

Jack looked angry for a second, "Listen, Agent -"

"Hotchner."

"Agent Hotchner," Jack said. "She didn't deliberately not tell you… she just figured it would be a while before you arrived and was going to have someone take you out there later if you needed to go."

"We always need to see the crime scenes," Morgan explained, "It helps us get a feel for the unsub's motives."

Jack nodded, "Well, I'll drive you there." he said, eyeing Hotch wearily. "But don't make the mistake of yelling at Alex. She won't take it from anyone."

**~/.\~**

Hotch was still fuming when he got behind the SUV that Agent Vance was driving with Prentiss and Rossi inside. JJ was staying at the field office, and Reid and Morgan were in the SUV with him. "What the hell was she thinking, not telling us about this murder?" he growled for about tenth time under his breath.

"Hotch, man calm down." Morgan said. "She probably wasn't thinking. Don't go biting her head off because she made a mistake. Tell her we need to see the crime scenes from now on and let it go."

Hotch glared at him for a second, but nodded. "She should have waited." he said. "But… maybe it was just a careless mistake." His fingers loosened around the wheel. "It had better not happen again."

Morgan laughed, "Trust me, Hotch, you give her the look you were giving Agent Vance and I'm pretty sure she'll do everything you tell her to."

Reid cracked a smile, shaking his head over the map in his hands. "You know, we'd get there quicker if we made a right instead of a left…" he said.

Hotch frowned, "What?"

"The traffic is going to be backed up if we go this way," Reid said, looking up. "But if you turn right and get off here, we'll be there in five minutes."

Morgan rolled his eyes, "You should probably listen to him," he said. "Otherwise you're going to be hearing about how much faster we could've gotten there for the next four hours."

Reid frowned, but smiled when Hotch took his advice and made the turn.

**~/.\~**

It wasn't hard to spot the crime scene, the yellow tape marking the alley off to the public. Hotch, Morgan and Reid arrived well before Agent Vance and the others and climbed out of the SUV, approaching a blond woman with her hair pulled back in a pony tail, a frown on her face as she knelt down next to a patch of blood.

"Agent Black?" Hotch asked, frowning down at her.

She stood and shook her head, "No, Agent Nicholas. Samantha Nicholas." she said, holding out her hand. Hotch shook it, but didn't smile. "You must be with the BAU… Alex is over there," she said, nodding toward a shorter woman with black hair that was similarly pulled back into a pony tail.

She certainly didn't look like an FBI agent. She was short and thin, the gun on her hip looking almost as out of place as the gun on Reid's hip. But when she stood from her position next to a grotesquely mutilated body and fixed the agents with a stare, they suddenly understood how she'd made it into the bureau. Her wide blue eyes were full of some sort of grim determination, her jaw set in an angry line against her face, dark bangs framing her eyes and making her look even more - intimidating.

Despite the fact that all three agents stood a good head taller than the woman, there was a certain aura about her that made her seem so much taller. "What are you doing on my crime scene?" she demanded when she spotted them, her brows knitting together angrily. "I want to know who allowed -"

"I'm SSA Aaron Hotchner." Hotch interrupted, his dark eyes matching her angry stare almost perfectly. "With the BAU. Why exactly didn't you let us know about this body?"

"Because you weren't here to notify," she said stiffly. "You want to know about it, ask someone. I'm busy here, and if you need someone to hold your hand -"

"Agent Black," Hotch cut her off. "You called us in. Do you want our help or not?"

She frowned, looking half tempted to say no and tell them to go home, but finally she sighed. "Yes, I want your help, Agent Hotchner… Look, this hasn't been an easy case, alright? This guy has no viable motive, there is no connection between the victims… we're drawing a blank. I'm desperate, so just… bear with me."

Hotch nodded slowly, "What's the victim's name?" he asked, staring down at the body.

"Daniel Kent, age 37. He was reported missing two days ago." Alex answered, frowning down at the body. "In two days he was beaten, stabbed twenty times and had a finger cut off before the bastard _impaled _him with something."

"You still haven't been able to ID the weapon used?"

She shook her head, "No, the coroner said he's never seen anything like it before…" she scowled. "Whatever it is, it cut clean through breast bone, muscle, skin and fat and right into the heart. This guy's strong."

Hotch nodded absently, staring down at the body. Whatever the man had looked like before, he was now almost unrecognizable as a person. His face was a patchwork of bruises and blood, both eyes swollen and a deep purple color. He was missing the ring finger on his right hand, the bloody stub where it used to be looking half rotted.

"Who are you?" Alex asked, frowning at Reid and Morgan.

"Derek," Morgan said, grinning a flirtatious grin. "Derek Morgan," he said, holding out his hand. She stared at it for a minute and then shook her head, eyes turning to stare at Reid. "And you?"

"Uh… Sp-Spencer Reid…" he said. "But -"

"Just call him Reid, it makes it easier," Morgan said, smiling.

She nodded, "Reid… Agent Morgan," she purposefully emphasized the word 'agent', "I'd say it's nice to meet you, but I don't like asking for help so… instead I'll say thanks for being here."

"Ouch, not much on friendly, huh?" Morgan asked, raising a brow.

"No, I just don't like lying. The truth is always better… it might hurt, but it only hurts once. You tell a lie, it can come back to bite you in the ass in more ways than I want to think about."

Morgan nodded slowly, "Alright then…" he said. "Good to know, princess."

Her eyes narrowed, "Don't. Call. Me. Princess." she warned, looking more pissed off than Morgan had ever seen a woman look before. Before he could say anything else she whirled around and walked over to the blond agent - Samantha - and ignored them completely.

"She was … different." Morgan said slowly, staring after her.

"She was like a female Hotch," Reid muttered.

"On her period," Morgan added, grinning. "This should be really interesting."

**~/.\~**

**E/N: Oh, about timing… yeah, this is after the season six premiere I guess, but I'm going to pretend that "JJ" never happened, because CBS is retarded for getting rid of her and therefore, I will NOT get rid of her in my stories.**

**So, how'd you guys like Alex? I really hope she's not like a Mary Sue to anyone, because I can honestly say that I HATE reading those stories…**

**Don't forget to review!**


	2. Territorial

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! And the story alert and favorites adds! You guys are awesome!**

**Glad to see that y'all like Alex so far, she's kinda hard to warm up to I suppose… don't worry, there is actually a softer side of her, but she doesn't like to admit it. Wait 'til u meet Ashley and Ryan…**

**WARNING: graphic crime scenes; blood; mentions of torture; language - Alex is not known for lady-like behavior; Reid/OC eventual pairing, very MILD**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~/.\~**

Ch. 2: Territorial

Prentiss, Rossi and Agent Vance arrived on scene about fifteen minutes later. They walked over to where Alex and Hotch were having some sort of argument about something. "Listen, Agent Hotchner, this is _my _crime scene and I am in charge."

"_You _called my team in, Agent Black," Hotch snapped. "And _I _am this team's Unit Chief. _You_ do not tell my agents what to do."

"I _asked _him to take a photo of the markings on the victim's neck. I fail to see how that is wrong." Alex shot back, narrowing her eyes.

"He was doing something else."

"He was taking pictures!" Alex was gesturing wildly with her hands now, her voice rising in volume.

Hotch's was the same. "Pictures of the scene. We need to see -"

"Then fucking look around!" Alex snapped, her arms now folded tightly across her chest. "The scene isn't going to change much, we're behind a dumpster in New York. The body, however, will change and I want to make sure we get as many pictures as we can."

"Watch your mouth," Hotch growled at her, "If you want pictures of the body then tell the coroner to take them."

"The coroner isn't here!"

Prentiss laughed, glancing over at Morgan, "What happened?"

"Agent Black asked Reid to take a picture of the bruises on the vic's neck and Hotch jumped all over her… I think he was just looking for a chance to snap at her." Morgan said, smiling.

"All of this over a picture?" Agent Vance asked.

Agent Nicholas smiled, "Come on, Jack, you know how Alex is…"

Jack smiled, "Seems like she met her match with Agent Hotchner," he said.

Rossi nodded, "Think they'll be like that the whole time we're here?" he asked.

"Nah, Hotch'll calm down after he get's over her not notifying us about the new scene." Morgan said. "Reid's probably traumatized by now though."

"Why?" Prentiss frowned.

"They're arguing about him…" Morgan pointed out, nodding over to where Reid stood, pressing his lips together, holding a camera and looking mortified.

The blond woman smiled, "Poor kid," she said, shaking her head. "I'm Special Agent Samantha Nicholas, by the way." she said, turning to face Rossi and Prentiss, holding out her hand.

"SSA David Rossi," Rossi said, smiling at her.

"Emily Prentiss," Prentiss said, taking her offered hand.

Hotch seemed to have reached a breaking point, "Agent Black, from now on you do not make any decisions without talking to me first."

She glared at him, "Like hell I will," she snapped. "This is still my case, Agent Hotchner, and I'll run my investigation how I want."

He clenched his fists and walked away, spotting Morgan, Rossi and Prentiss standing near the crime scene tape. "What are you doing?" he snapped. "Get to work!"

They all pressed their lips together and watched him step under the tape and walk back to the SUV, pulling out his cell phone as he went.

Alex scowled after him and approached the group of Agents, "You are?" she asked, frowning at Rossi and Prentiss.

"SSA David Rossi," Rossi answered quickly.

"SSA Emily Prentiss," Prentiss said, holding a hand out to the woman. She took it almost reluctantly.

"SSA Dr. Alex Black. Call me Alex, please. Or Agent Black if you must," she didn't smile, but she looked a little less angry than she had moments ago. "Is Agent Hotchner your supervisor?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?"

She shrugged, "Just curious. Don't know how you could work with the man,"

Jack laughed, "I'm sure it's a lot like working with you, Alex." he said.

She frowned and shrugged again, "Ashley always says I'd kill me if I met myself on the street… maybe she's right." She turned and walked away again, back to the body, and began giving Reid instructions to take the picture she wanted.

"Who's Ashley?" Rossi asked, frowning.

"Her sister," Agent Nicholas answered, brushing a fallen strand of hair out of her face.

"She's got a sister?" Morgan asked, raising his brow.

Samantha nodded, rolling her eyes at Morgan, "Yeah, and before you ask, no, Ashley's not in the bureau. I think it's pretty safe to say she doesn't like Alex's job."

"Samantha!" Alex called from next to the body, "Call Brodey! He's nearly thirty minutes late. Tell him I'm not taking any bullshit excuses about traffic this time."

Samantha chuckled and nodded, "On it, boss." she said, grinning.

"Who's Brodey?" Prentiss asked Jack, frowning.

"Coroner…" Jack answered, smiling slightly. "Small little guy, with a big mouth. He's always late."

~/.\~

Alex stood from her position next to the body and cracked her neck, "Thanks Dr. Reid… or do you prefer Agent Reid?" she asked, frowning.

"Either's fine… or you could just call me Reid." he answered.

She nodded slowly, "Hope I didn't get you into any trouble with your boss…" she said, looking back toward Hotch who was still talking on the phone next to one of the SUVs.

Reid smiled slightly, "No, Hotch isn't mad a me just …"

"Me, right?" Alex asked, shrugging. "I'm used it… I can come off as a little… hot headed I suppose."

Reid raised his brows, thinking hot headed was a nice way of putting it, but didn't say anything, nodding and lowering the camera. "Brodey's on his way, Alex." Samantha said, walking over to where they were standing. "He said he -"

"Got stuck in traffic, I know." Alex said, frowning again. "I'm beginning to think he doesn't take his job very seriously." she muttered. "I'm heading back to the office," she said. "Dr. Reid, will you tell Agent Hotchner that I've got some paperwork to fill out?" she asked.

Reid nodded slowly but before he could say anything, Alex spoke again, "Tell him I would've asked for his permission, but it seems he's busy, so I figured I could make an executive decision, ya know?" she scowled and walked away, ducking under the yellow tape.

"Is she always like that?" Reid asked, frowning after her.

The blond woman chuckled, "Who Alex? No, she's just in a bad mood because this guy seems to be killing people right under our noses. She screamed at Jack for an hour yesterday because he used decaf in the coffee pot in the break room." she paused for a moment and frowned, "Try to think of her like a severely hormonal pregnant woman and it makes things easier."

Reid smiled, nodding. "Right." he said.

~/.\~

They arrived back at the field office about an hour later to find Alex and JJ sitting there, talking. They all frowned when they noticed that JJ was actually smiling while talking to her. They had two small wallet-sized photographs sitting out next to each other. "What's going on?" Hotch asked, curious about the strange change that had come over Agent Black.

"Alex was just showing me a baby picture of her daughter, Ryan… how old is she now?"

"Eight," Alex said, picking up the photo and putting it in her pocket.

"Baby pictures?" Hotch frowned, "I thought you had paperwork?"

"I did, Agent Hotchner," Alex replied, an edge returning to her voice. "I finished it, obviously."

"So you decided to look at baby pictures?" he asked.

She scowled, "There wasn't much else to do. You and the rest of your team and mine were still at the crime scene, I helped JJ set up the evidence board here and then we started talking about her son, Henry, right?" she asked, glancing back at JJ, who nodded.

Hotch pressed his lips together, "Fine." he said, nodding slowly. "Agent Black, I need to speak with you. Privately."

Alex sighed and stood from the table, "Follow me," she said, leading him down the hall to her office.

"Did I miss something?" JJ asked, frowning. "What's up with Alex and Hotch?"

"They got off to a bad start," Morgan explained, "But here's a better question, what the hell did you say to her that made her actually seem human?"

JJ frowned, "Nothing." she said. "She's just really nice. She finished whatever paperwork she had and offered to help me finish setting up since all of her team was at the crime scene. And then she noticed my ring and I told her about Henry and we started talking."

Morgan shook his head, "I said maybe four words to her and she got angry."

"I'm pretty sure it was the word 'princess' that made her angry." Reid pointed out.

Samantha winced, "Ooh, yeah, that'll do it. Don't call her princess. Ever."

"Thanks for the warning," Morgan mumbled. "At least she got along with you, JJ. And Reid," he grinned.

Reid looked up, confused. "Huh?"

"Nothing, Reid." Morgan said, grinning. "It's not important."

Reid frowned then looked back down at an open file, "You know… he's going to kidnap someone else tonight."

Morgan frowned, "How d'ya figure?"

"His pattern of escalation… He waited three days between the first two victims, two after that and one day after the last. Now he's dumped another body and is probably looking for a new victim."

~/.\~

Alex sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk and motioned for Hotch to do the same, "What's this about Agent Hotchner?" she asked. "Because I actually did have paperwork, you can see it if you want…"

"It's not about that," Hotch said, frowning. "First, I want to apologize for the way I acted back at the crime scene. I didn't handle the situation the way I should have," Alex raised a brow, looking surprised. "But, you should have notified me about the murder. Don't let that happen again."

She pursed her lips together, but nodded. "Understood." she said.

"Second, I called your supervisor, Agent Williams," Alex winced at the name. "He said that you've already had several disciplinary actions filed against you. How exactly did you become supervisor of your team?"

"By being good at what I do, Agent Hotchner. Same way you did." She shifted slightly in her seat, "Look, I don't like asking for help. Quite frankly, I'm not really sure I like you… but I need help and I asked for help. I know your team is one of the best, if not the best, and I'm very happy to have you here…" she bit her lip, "But I'm not going to back down from my role as the lead agent on this case. It's _my _case Agent Hotchner…"

Hotch nodded, "I understand that, but my team can't help you if you don't allow us to. You've got to let us do our job so that you can do yours." he explained.

She nodded, then a tiny smile twitched on her mouth, "Got it," she said. "You know, suddenly I feel like I'm back in middle school…"

"How so?"

"Think about it, when you're the most popular kid in school - not that I ever was - and then a new kid comes along and steals your spot light?" she shook her head. "I guess I'm just being territorial."

Hotch smiled then, "You realize it's usually men who have that problem, right?"

She shrugged, "I'm not what you'd call the conventional type of woman. I'm the kind of girl who like to show boys why females are the superior race."

"I think you've done a good job of that already," Hotch said. "So don't let it get in the way again, because I'm sure your supervisor wouldn't like it."

She nodded, "Right. Behave or you'll send me to the office, right?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.

Hotch was surprised to hear himself laugh. Maybe she wasn't so bad if you got passed all of the anger. "That's one way of looking at it." he said. "Now, maybe we should get back to the investigation."

"Oh, Agent Hotchner, wait." Alex said, stopping him as he stood.

"What?"

"The agent out there… David Rossi… he's not _the _David Rossi, is he?"

"If you mean the David Rossi who retired, wrote several books, became famous and then returned to the bureau, then yes, he is."

She blinked, "Wow. Never thought I'd meet him in person…"

"You a fan of his?"

She smiled, "Well… I've always been interested in profiling and I've read all of his books… I suppose that's a yes."

"You're interested in profiling?" he asked, frowning.

"Well, sure. I've taken the classes…"

"Have you ever requested a transfer."

"No, I haven't found a good enough reason to leave New York…" she shrugged. "My life's been here for the past ten years."

He nodded, "Understandable." he said, opening the door and motioning for her to exit first. She snorted and took the door handle, opening it wider and standing there, not moving until he sighed and walked out with her following behind him.

~/.\~

Alex and Hotch walked back into the conference room both looking much less angry. "What have you got so far?" Alex asked, frowning at the evidence board. Samantha and Jack were sitting at the table next to Reid, JJ and Rossi. Prentiss and Morgan remained standing.

"What we know so far is that the crimes aren't sexual," Hotch answered. "This unsub isn't killing people because of some sexual fantasy, it's something else."

"Do you know what?" Samantha asked.

"Not yet," Morgan answered. "But we're working on it. What we need is to find out what connects the victims. Then we'll be able to figure out what it is that the unsub is after,"

"But there's not a connection between the victims," Alex pointed out. "I've been through every aspect of their lives, talking to friends and family, looked at bank statements and credit reports… there's not a single thread to connect them by."

"We sent everything you have to Garcia," Prentiss said, "Out technical analyst in Quantico. If there's a connection, she'll find it."

Alex pursed her lips together, but didn't say anything, nodding curtly.

"What if he's using the torture to get something from the victims?" Reid asked. "That would explain why there's no consistency for how long he tortures them. Once they give him what he wants, he kills them."

"Meaning the longer they hold out, the more time they have." Alex nodded, "But what would he want from them?"

Hotch frowned, "That's what we need to figure out."

Alex walked over to the evidence board and studied one of the photographs of a victim's chest where they had been impaled. "I feel like I've seen this type of wound before," she murmured, "I just can't figure out where."

Morgan sighed, "It would probably be helpful if we knew what he was killing them with. It might give us some kind of clue about what he's after. Can you think of anything at all Agent Black?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "No, but I just know I've seen something like this before. It's been bothering me since I got the case…"

Jack nodded, "She's been muttering about it constantly."

Alex shot him a dirty look and he shrugged, "It's the truth." he said.

She frowned and nodded, "Fair enough," she muttered. Turning back to the evidence board she sighed, "I just wish I could remember where I've seen this before…"

**~/.\~**

**E/N: Told she had a softer side… not quiet so… abrasive.**

**Don't forget to review!**


	3. Common Ground

**A/N: Thanks for all of your reviews, story alerts and favorites adds! I heart you guys! **

**WARNING: gory crime scenes; language; eventual MILD Reid/OC - EXTREMEMLY mild, ok?**

**(This fic might not be too long, guys! It's not gonna take them long to catch the killer, I don't think…)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~/.\~**

Ch. 3: Common Ground

"Daniel Kent's family still needs to be notified," JJ added quickly as the team began to gather folders. Hotch sighed, "Alright, Morgan, you come with me to talk to his wife. Rossi, you and Prentiss talk to his brother… Reid, stay here and start working on the geographic profile. I don't want this reaching the media yet, JJ, call all the news stations and tell them to hold off."

He paused when he caught sight of the frown on Alex's face, expecting another explosion, but despite her death grip on the folders in her hands, she just nodded. "Jack go with Agent Hotchner and Agent Morgan. Sam, go with Agent Rossi and Prentiss." She shot Hotch a look that clearly said 'do not question me.'

Hotch nodded and the agents filed out of the conference room. Alex frowned, considering following them for a moment, but then her cell phone started ringing. She pulled it out of her pocket, glanced at the caller ID and frowned, walking out of the room to talk.

JJ watched her go and then glanced over at Reid, who was starting the Geographic profile on a large map that had been pinned to one of the evidence boards. She leaned over and grabbed the phone on the desk behind her, "I'd better get started with these calls…" she sighed.

Reid glanced over at her and nodded, his eyes falling on Agent Black in the hall, talking on her cell phone. She'd looked aggravated at first, but now he was surprised to see her actually smiling at whoever she was talking to. He looked down when she looked back toward the room and began to mark off the dump sites on the map.

~/.\~

"Mrs. Kent?" Hotch asked when he, Morgan and Jack reached Daniel Kent's home about fifteen minutes later.

The woman at the door was thin and pale, her eyes a deep, murky green. "Yes?"

Hotch held up his badge, "I'm SSA Hotchner… with the FBI -"

Before he could finish the sentence, the woman started crying. "He's dead isn't he? I heard about those murders on TV, but I didn't want to believe…" she trailed off, her eyes brimming over as she started to sob.

"Ma'am, could we come inside for a moment," Jack asked gently, putting a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder. "We need to talk to you… about… Daniel."

She nodded slowly, hiccupping back another sob, "I… yes…" she said. "Right this way…"

~/.\~

A tall, gruff looking young man opened the door to the apartment when Rossi knocked. "Who are you?" he asked, squinting at them. He looked remarkably like his brother, only a little taller and his hair was longer.

"Supervisory Special Agent Rossi," Rossi said, holding up his badge. "These are Agents Prentiss and Nicholas. We need to speak with you, Mr. Kent… about your brother."

"Danny?" the man asked, looking confused. "Sure… um… come in." He led them into the living room and motioned for them to sit down. "What's this about?" he asked.

"Mr. Kent, were you aware that your brother was reported missing?" Samantha asked, frowning at the man.

"I… yeah, his wife, Denise, called me. I'm the one who told her to call the police… I mean, with all these murders, I thought…" he suddenly went pale and stared at the agents with dawning comprehension. "No…" his voice wavered.

Prentiss bit her lip, "Mr. Kent… I'm afraid… we found Daniel's body this morning."

"No!" he almost screamed, standing up. There were tears in his eyes. "You must've made a mistake… Danny… he can't be… he can't be dead! He's my brother!"

"Mr. Kent, calm down," Rossi urged. "I know this is difficult -"

"Difficult! You come in here and tell me my brother is dead and you think it's difficult?" he snapped, looking angry. "It's not true. Danny's alive. He's just… missing is all."

Samantha pressed her lips together, "I wish it weren't true, Mr. Kent… but it is. I saw … I saw the body. It's him. We have dental records."

The man sank down onto the couch, tears leaking out of his eyes. "Danny's gone?" he whispered, staring at the agents brokenly. "Oh my God…"

~/.\~

JJ was still arguing with news stations when Alex walked back in and sat down at the conference table, glancing over at Reid, who was still marking the map. "You're doing the Geographic profile, right?" she asked, watching him curiously.

He glanced back at her and nodded, "Uh, yeah. It helps us narrow down the unsub's comfort zone. He'll only kill within a certain range because he feels comfortable there, which means he either lives or works within the comfort zone. And when we do a geographic profile, we look at where the victims were taken from and where their bodies were dumped to narrow down the area and find -" he stopped, frowning. "Sorry, I uh… ramble sometimes." he apologized.

Alex blinked, frowning. "What? Oh, no, continue." she insisted. "I was actually listening, Dr. Reid."

He looked surprised, "Really?"

She laughed and Reid realized it was the first time he'd seen her do so. "Really," she said. "I might not like the idea of asking for help, but I've always found profiling fascinating."

He stared at her for a few moments, not really sure what to say. "I… You do?"

"It's studying human behavior, right? Getting into the mind of a criminal? I've taken all the classes… It's one of the reasons I decided to get my doctorate in psychology."

Reid frowned at her, studying her face for a long moment, "Right," he said. "How old are you?"

"Dr. Reid, you're not supposed to ask a woman her age," Alex said, smiling slightly.

"Right, sorry, I -"

"I was kidding." Alex said, shaking her head. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking… you said your daughter was eight and you've got a PHD… but you don't look much older than me." He said.

"I was married at twenty, Ryan was born when I was twenty two. If Christian had been alive last month…" she winced slightly, "We would've been married ten years. Do the math, Mr. Genius."

He laughed, "So you're thirty," he said.

She put a finger to her lips, "Shh! I don't want people to know." she grinned. "They all think I'm fifteen."

He laughed again, "How old were you when you got your PHD?"

She studied his face, "I'll tell you how old I was if you tell me how old you were." she finally said.

He looked surprised, "Me? Oh… I was … sixteen when I completed my first doctorate -"

"You're first doctorate? Damn… I was sixteen when I started working on mine." She shook her head. "How man doctorates do you have?"

"Uh… three. In Mathematics, chemistry and engineering."

She raised her brows, "All of that and you're thirty? How old were you when you started college?"

"Thirteen." Reid answered.

She nodded slowly, "Interesting," she said.

He frowned, "You didn't answer my question." he said after a minute.

"What question?"

"How old were you when you got your doctorate?"

"I was… hmm… sixteen when I started it… I was nineteen when I actually completed it." she said after a minute. "It was right before I got married."

He looked surprised, "Which would mean you graduated high school when you were… fifteen."

"Well, yeah. I wasn't twelve," Alex said, grinning at him.

Reid smiled, shaking his head and turning back to the map.

"Something wrong, Dr. Reid?" she asked, frowning at the back of his head.

"No, just pleasantly surprised," he said absently. "You stuck as a more… aggressive person."

"What, aggressive people can't be smart?" she asked, raising a brow.

"No, that's not what I meant… I mean… what I … well…"

She laughed, "Are you always so awkward around people?" she said.

"Only women," Morgan teased, walking into the conference room, Hotch and Jack behind him.

"What did Denise Kent have to say?" Alex asked, turning around and fixing the agents with one of her intense stares.

"Nothing new." Morgan said. "No enemies she could think of, no strange phone calls, no weird letters, no new people following him…" he sighed. "New York is too crowded, it's normal to see people you don't recognize constantly, and after a while they end up being a blur of faces. Even if there was someone following him, he probably wouldn't have noticed."

Alex sighed, "One of the disadvantages of New York, I guess…" she drummed her fingers on the table. "And according to your profile, this guy's going to take another victim tonight?" she asked, frowning.

"If he sticks to his pattern of escalation, yes," Reid said, turning around again.

She pressed her lips together, "Can we get agents out on the streets, patrolling around the areas where he's grabbed victims before? See if we can get lucky? I already called the NYPD, every available cop is on duty and patrolling…"

Hotch nodded, "A few agents wouldn't hurt. JJ, you, Agent Nicholas and Prentiss can be one group… Rossi, Agent Vance and I can be another and …" he stopped, seeing the frown settling back on Alex's face, but again, she just clenched her fists and nodded.

"And Agent Morgan, Dr. Reid and myself…" she continued for him, nodding. "Of course."

Hotch stared at her for a few minutes and then nodded, "Right, Reid how's the geographical profile coming?"

"Pretty well… but I need the location where Daniel Kent was abducted, it's not in the files."

"I'll get it," Alex said, standing from the table, "That's in my office," She hurried out of the room and down the hall to her office, a look of grim determination on her face.

**~/.\~**

**E/N: A little shorter than the other chapters, but oh well. I had to change it up a little from the original plan here, otherwise things would've been over TOO quickly. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Don't forget to review!**


	4. So Close

**A/N: Thanks for all of the awesome reviews! And of course, thanks to everyone who added this to favorites and alert! You guys rock!**

**WARNING: bloody crime scene; talk of torture; language; mild violence; eventual Reid/OC VERY MILD!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~/.\~**

Ch. 4: So Close

Prentiss sighed, staring around the crowded New York street, "I don't understand how this unsub can shoot someone, grab them and get them away from all of _this _and not be seen…" she said, shaking her head.

"This is New York, Agent Prentiss," Samantha said wryly. "Guns go off constantly, especially in the bad neighborhoods… and whoever our killer is, attacks them in dark alleys, late a night, when there are few people around to see or hear."

"Like a mugger," JJ guessed, frowning down a dark alley.

"Pretty much… though, a lot of muggings around here are in the Park… and this guy hasn't kidnapped anyone from there yet. The annoying thing is that a lot of people are reported missing in the city everyday, so we're never 100% sure if one of them is another victim… We find the crime scenes and the blood from the gun shot, but it takes a couple of days to get DNA testing done and find out. We found the second victim's body before we even got the results back."

"This guy's smart… I think he watches these people. There's got to be something he sees in them… something that connects them that we haven't caught on to yet…" Prentiss said, sighing.

"What if this is random?" Samantha asked.

"I don't think it is… I mean, the victimology seems random, but torture… that's usually for a reason. He's got to have some reason for hurting these people, so there's something he sees in them that connects them… something we haven't found yet."

~/.\~

Rossi frowned, looking across the street at a darkened candy shop, "Everything's pretty lit up out here… our unsub managed to grab these people without being seen… He followed them, probably forced them into darker alleys and shot them. Then he kidnaps them, takes them to wherever he's hiding and … tortures them until they give him whatever it is that he wants. And then he kills them… and dumps there bodies in a different alley."

"Messy… but smart." Hotch nodded. "And very personal. Except for the gun, all of their wounds were from knives and close contact weapons. He wants to watch their pain…"

"Sadist then," Rossi nodded.

"But you said he wanted something from these people…" Agent Vance said. "Like… like when an enemy is captured at war and they're tortured for information. Those guys are brutal, but they're just doing a job…"

Hotch blinked, "That's… a good point." he said, frowning. "Our unsub could be working with that same principal… but that would mean… if he think's this is a job he's delusional."

"Delusional." Rossi frowned, "Yet smart enough to pull this off? This doesn't feel like someone going through a psychotic break…"

"But it could be," Hotch pointed out. "And it would explain the randomness of the victims."

~/.\~

Alex drummed her fingers against her arms. It was getting late and the crowded street was thinning out. Still no sign of their murderer. "How long have you been in New York?" Morgan asked, putting his hands in his pockets and glancing at her.

"Ten years," she answered, chewing on her lip. "Chris and I moved here after we got married. Before that, I lived in Vegas for a little while and Atlanta before that."

"Chris was your husband, right?" Morgan asked, gently, remembering that Agent Vance had said he'd died a little less than a year ago.

"Yeah… Christian. He was in an accident…" she trailed off, her eyes going distant and the faintest remnant of tears sparked.

"You lived in Vegas?" Reid asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I lived there when I was fourteen. My uncle was a Homicide detective… started out in Atlanta. But he transferred to Vegas so we moved."

"Your uncle? What about your parents?"

Alex shifted, "They… My mom died when I was a baby. My dad…" she trailed off. "Disappeared. It's not important. I was raised by my Aunt Beth, my mom's sister, until she died when I eleven. Then I was bounced around for a year in foster care until the found my mom's half-sister, my Aunt Melaina." she shrugged, "So I was sent to live with her."

"And your sister, right?"

"Huh?"

"Ashley, your sister?"

"Oh, right. Yes, Ashley too… we got pretty close I guess, being sent from place to place… but I don't see her much any more. She lives in Virginia."

"Oh." Morgan frowned. "So you decided to be in the FBI because of your uncle?"

She smiled, "Pretty much… I think the whole idea terrified my aunt though… and Ashley." she shrugged. "But I wanted to help people. People who can't always help themselves because they're being attacked by stronger, bigger people."

Morgan grinned, "That's why I decided to join the bureau."

She raised her brow, "Really? Then maybe I misjudged you…" she said, a tiny smile quirking on the side of her mouth.

"Misjudged me?"

"Yeah… you seem like one of those arrogant jerks who has a little too much confidence in themselves."

Reid laughed, "He is." he said. "Minus the jerk part…"

Morgan narrowed his eyes, "I am not arrogant."

"You are very arrogant. But not in a bad way… you're just really confident in yourself." Reid explained, smiling.

"Something you lack completely." Morgan said, smiling.

Alex smiled at two of them, almost laughing, "You two argue like brothers," she said, "You sure you're not related?"

"Me? Related to the geeky little kid? I don't think so." Morgan said, his eyes twinkling.

"I am not a kid!" Reid protested. "I'm thirty years old!"

"It really sucks being the youngest on the team, doesn't it Dr. Reid?" Alex asked, smiling. "I'm the youngest… and I'm the one in charge."

"I think you've got the skill to back yourself up…" Morgan said, smiling.

"Skill meaning…?"

"Meaning you could probably scar someone for life with that glare of yours." Morgan said, shaking his head.

She shook her head, "You've got to be tough when you're in charge, otherwise they won't listen to you."

"Well, Agent Vance and Agent Nicholas seem to like you," Reid pointed out.

"I never said you had to be cold…" she said, shrugging. "I've known them a while, we're friends."

They were walking towards a darker alley and hadn't even realized that the narrow street they were on was completely empty until they heard a faint scream and a gunshot. All three agents' hands went immediately to their guns.

Alex didn't wait for them to say anything, she took off running toward the shot. "Agent Black!" Morgan called. "Slow down!" Damn, the girl could run.

Reid and Morgan chased after her as she darted toward a side alley, gun drawn. Morgan caught up to her first, "Jeesh, woman, where'd you learned to run like that?"

She didn't answer at first, "Someone's life is in danger, we're running out of time. Let Agent Hotchner know where we are."

He nodded and pulled at the microphone clipped to his shirt, talking into it quickly. "They're on their way… sending squad cars…" he frowned as she nodded and then started running again.

"Don't shoot him unless he tries to shoot you," he cautioned.

She scowled, "Agent Morgan, I'm not new at this job, I know protocols." she snapped, pushing hair out of her face. They finally reached the alley, but it was empty, glancing ahead in the street, Alex and Morgan spotted a dark figure dragging something. Reid caught up to them breathlessly.

"That's him." Alex said, grimly, taking off in another sprint. Morgan sighed, "Wish she'd slow the hell down." he muttered, running after her.

The figure looked up at their approach, his face masked in shadow and by a dark hood over his head. He dropped his grip on the body in his arms and straightened up, holding a gun. "Drop the weapon," Alex ordered in calm voice.

He didn't respond, just glared at them. "Drop it!" She yelled, her finger tightening over the trigger of her gun.

Suddenly the man turned and ran, she fired off two shots, Morgan, catching up, fired another, but all three missed and Alex took off after him, Morgan trailing behind her. Reid had been left behind with the victim and was calling an ambulance. As they rounded a corner, they came into a busier street and Alex slid against the pavement, coming crashing to the ground as she fell.

Morgan stopped and knelt next to her, "You alright?" he asked, worriedly.

She winced and nodded, "Fine," she said, trying to push herself up with her hand. She let out a scream and slid back down. "Damn it," she muttered. "I think I sprained my wrist…"

"Or broke it," Morgan said, eyeing the already swollen looking area around her left wrist.

"Well then it's a good thing I'm right handed." she muttered. She allowed Morgan to pull her up and looked out into the crowded street. "We lost him," she sighed, her eyes getting dark.

"Let's go," Morgan said. "Reid's with the victim, we need to go check on … them." he realized he didn't know if the victim was a man or a woman.

~/.\~

Reid watched Alex and Morgan take off after the killer and knelt next to the body on the ground, realizing whoever it was, was still conscious. Brushing their hair aside, he realized it was a woman. "Ma'am, it's alright," he whispered at the panicked breath she took when her bleary eyes focused on him. "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid, with the FBI. Help is coming…"

His hands shook slightly as he searched her for the wound. It was easy enough to find from the bloody stain beginning to form on her shirt. He pressed his hands to her stomach, trying to stem the flow at least a little while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

"Can you tell me your name?" he asked gently, trying to keep the woman talking.

"Sh-Sharon." she answered, wincing. "I… he shot me." she whispered.

"I know," he said, "We're getting help. You'll be okay." he assured her, trying to ignore the way her blood felt seeping between his fingers. He saw her eye lids beginning to fluttered. "Stay with me, Sharon, ok? I know it hurts… but you've got to stay with me. You're gonna be alright."

She nodded weakly, "My husband…" she hissed out. "He's waiting for me… a-at home. I -" she grimaced, her face contorting in pain.

"It's ok." Reid soothed. "We'll call your husband, ok? What's his name?"

"W-William." she managed to say. "William Northcote."

"Alright, we'll get someone to call him for you." Reid promised, glancing back toward the alley, wondering where Alex and Morgan were. He hoped they'd managed to catch the unsub.

**~/.\~**

**E/N: Ah… sad moment. They were SO CLOSE. Yes, I did that on purpose. I wanted them to catch the bastard in the act, but then… lose him. Ah well. Don't worry, this is one of those stories where I've already got EVERYTHING planned out in my head. I'm not gonna spring any unplanned surprises on ya. **

**Don't forget to review!**


	5. The 'Vampire Slayer'

**A/N: Thanks so much for all of your reviews and favorites adds! I heart you guys!**

**And now, on to chapter 5...**

**WARNING: blood; mild violence; language; eventual Reid/OC MILD pairing**

**PLEASE REVIEW! C'mon people, I'm BEGGING HERE! This story can't be THAT bad can it? Lol… JK, sorta… XD**

**~/.\~**

Ch. 5: The 'Vampire Slayer'

They found Reid in the waiting room at the hospital wiping blood off of his hands. "Are you alright?" JJ asked, looking at him with concern.

"Fine," Reid answered, shrugging away the hand on her shoulder. "It's not my blood…" he said. "It's the victim's… Sharon Northcote is her name. The hospital called her husband." He paused, looking up when he saw Alex and Morgan walking in. The ambulance had arrived at the scene before they had so he'd left with Sharon.

"How's the victim?" Alex asked, walking over the small group of agents.

"She's in surgery," Reid said. "The bullet went into her lower abdomen and they're worried it might've hit the liver." Alex just nodded grimly, holding her left wrist awkwardly in her hand.

"Did you catch the unsub?" Hotch asked, looking to them.

"No," Alex answered sourly. "Bastard ran away. We chased for almost three blocks but …"

"But Agent Black fell and probably broke her wrist." Morgan finished, nodding toward the swollen and already bruised looking wrist she was holding.

"It's just a sprain," Alex said lightly, ignoring their concerned looks. "I'll be fine."

"You should have a doctor check it out," Hotch ordered, frowning at her.

"I'm fine, Agent Hotchner. It's not like I haven't had worse before." Alex said, shrugging.

"A broken wrist can impair your ability in the field," Reid pointed out, not even noticing the frown on Agent Black's face as he explained. "You should probably have it checked out, just incase something is wrong. Then you can get back to working in the field and -"

Alex was smiling, shaking her. "What?" Reid asked, confused looking.

"Nothing," Alex said, still smiling. "I think you just convinced my to get my wrist looked at though," she added before she turned around and walked over to the nearest nurses' station.

~/.\~

The team left the hospital after a short conversation with Mrs. Northcote's doctor telling them that she would probably still be sedated for a while and they returned to field office where Samantha and Jack were trying to keep reporters off the case.

JJ smiled as Samantha argued on the phone with a newspaper editor. "Sir, this is an FBI case. No, I don't give a damn what you think the public has a right to know, these victims have a right to privacy and that's what we're giving them. Well then you can wait until we apprehend the suspect. Yes, we will be able to do that." She clenched her jaw. "Sir, you are speaking to Special Agent Samantha Nicholas… but if you'd like I could transfer you to my supervisor, SSA Dr. Alex Black…" she said sweetly. "Oh, you don't want to talk to her? That's what I thought. Now shut the hell up and don't even think of printing that or I'll have you arrested, Mr. Barnes. Have a nice day." She slammed the phone down, shaking her head.

"Tough reporters, huh?" JJ asked, smiling. "I had to argue with them for hours today to get them to hold the story about the body this morning."

Samantha nodded, "New York reporters are like blood sucking leeches… Vampires who just suck out the life-force of law enforcement." She smiled, rolling her eyes.

Alex frowned, "Vampires?" she asked, her eyes falling on the crime scene photos. "Vampires…" she breathed again.

"Alex? You ok?"

"I think I know where I've seen wounds like this before." Alex said, standing up and walking over to the evidence board to study the photos yet again.

Hotch and Morgan looked up from the report they'd been going over, "You do?" they asked hopefully.

"Yeah…" she said, frowning. "Ever heard of the Vampire Slayer?" she asked, turning to face them.

~/.\~

"The Vampire Slayer," Alex explained, laying out several old case files on the conference table. "It's the nickname the press gave him." She flipped open the first folder.

"About twelve years ago, my uncle worked a serial homicide case in Vegas. People were being kidnapped, tortured and impaled. I can't believe I didn't remember this until now. They were all impaled with a silver stake."

"A stake? Like what people use to kill vampires?" Morgan asked skeptically.

She nodded, "Yes. One was left on scene and after the information was leaked to the press, the killer was nicknamed the Vampire Slayer. That's where I'd seen wounds like this before. This guy is using a silver stake to impale the victims."

They studied the crime scene photos and had to admit, they seemed very similar to the ones of the newer scenes. "So, what you think this is a copy cat."

Alex pressed her lips together, "The Vampire Slayer was never caught." she said. "He killed fifteen people and then disappeared. People thought he'd died…"

"So you think this is the same guy?" Hotch frowned. "Morgan, call Garcia. Tell her to check into other cases across the country with this MO."

Morgan nodded and pulled out his cell phone, dialing Garcia.

"Hello my handsome knight, what can I do for you this fine evening?" Garcia asked cheerily from the other end of the line.

"Baby Girl, I need you to look into something for me… Any cases in the last twelve years where random people were being kidnapped, tortured and impaled."

"Okaaaaaay," Garcia said, sounding confused. "I am on it," she said, her fingers already flying across the keyboard. "Oh… oh my." she said, shaking her head.

"What? What is it Baby Girl?" Morgan asked, frowning at the receiver.

"If this is all the same killer you've got yourselves one hell of a problem," Garcia said shaking her head. "I put the parameters in… the first time the MO shows up is in Las Vegas, twelve years ago. In about a year, fifteen people were killed. Then the next year, the pattern shows in Texas. Again, same thing, about a year and fifteen people are killed then nothing. The year after that, he was in Georgia, same pattern. One year, fifteen people. Are you seeing where I'm going with this? For the last twelve years, this guy has moved from state to state and killed fifteen people each time. Now he's in New York… he's killed four people so far, right?"

"Yeah…" Morgan said, feeling sick. How the hell had they missed this.

"Do you know how many victims that is?" Garcia asked, her voice shaking slightly. "That's… Good lord, 169 victims."

Morgan shook his head, "Thanks Baby Girl…" he said, sighing heavily. He hung up.

"What'd she say?" Reid asked, frowning.

"In the past twelve years this guy's been in twelve different states… New York is the twelfth. He stayed a year, killed fifteen people and moved on. So far, there are 169 victims."

"H-How many victims?" Jack asked, his eyes wide.

"He crossed state lines, only stayed a year… managed to draw attention to himself, moved on, waited a little while and started over." Morgan explained. "This guy's smart."

"He's delusional," Alex said, shaking her head.

"How do you figure?" Reid asked, raising a brow.

"He kidnaps these people, right? And then he tortures them… What if he really thinks of himself as a vampire slayer? Then the reason the time spent torturing varies is because he's waiting for them to confess. And after they do, he kills them."

"It makes sense," Hotch conceded.

"And if you think about it, in the old stories, vampire hunters were constantly moving around to avoid detection. They would stay in a place for a certain amount of time, do their work and move on quickly and quietly." Reid said. "It fits,"

"So we're now looking for a guy who is severely out of touch with reality. So out of touch that… he believes all of this is completely real. He would have to, to be able to pull this off so easily. He believes he hunting vampires." Rossi said, looking very unhappy.

"And so therefore, he's not murdering people, he's keeping the public safe," Prentiss added, sighing. "That's great."

~/.\~

Alex sighed, her fingers playing unconsciously with the cast now placed on her left wrist. Hotch, Rossi and JJ were talking to Sharon Northcote. Prentiss and Morgan were canvassing the streets with Samantha and Jack and Reid was going through the old case records with her since she technically couldn't be in the field with the cast.

Reid was muttering to himself, reading over the files, "This is… probably the most prolific serial killer I've ever heard of." he said, shaking his head. "He managed to kill almost two hundred people and … no one's managed to catch him yet."

"Well, we're not letting it get to one seventy, that's all I've gotta say," Alex muttered, letting her hand fall from her wrist. She pushed the sleeves of her shirt up a little and leaned forward.

"This guy is definitely looking for another victim now, since we stopped him from taking Sharon. He'll be more noticeable, hopefully."

Alex nodded, chewing her lower lip as she read over the files. Reid looked up and frowned, noticing several faint scars on her arms. "What happened?" he asked, not really thinking before he said it.

Alex frowned, looking confused. "Huh?" then she noticed where he was looking and self-consciously pulled down her sleeves. "It's nothing." she said. "Happened when I was a kid." She shrugged, trying to pretend it wasn't bothering her, but Reid could tell, from the way she kept shifting in her seat, that it was something personal. So he dropped the subject.

"Oh, alright." he said, turning back to the file in front of him.

~/.\~

They closed the folders several hours later, after the rest of them had returned to the office with no luck. "Looks like he decided to wait to take another victim," Jack said, stretching from his chair.

"It doesn't make sense…" Reid murmured. "He should have taken one tonight."

"Hey, your profiles can't be 100% all the time," Jack tried to reassure him. "Maybe Alex and Agent Morgan running into him scared him enough to wait."

Reid sighed, "Maybe…" he conceded.

Alex shrugged, "Either way, we've still got a serial killer to catch so be here in the morning," she said, slinging a bag over her shoulder and walking out. Reid and Morgan were out a few seconds later right behind her.

"So, how do you like working with team, Agent Black?" Morgan asked lightly.

"It's certainly interesting," she said, smiling.

Reid was digging through his bag, "I forgot my pen," he said, turning to go back inside.

"Mr. Eidetic memory forgot something?" Morgan teased.

Reid narrowed his eyes, "Shut up," he muttered, hurrying back into the building.

Alex was almost to her car when she and Morgan heard footsteps behind them. Thinking it was Reid, they both turned around. And were greeted by a hooded figure holding a gun. Both of them instantly reached for their guns. "Don't move!" the man snapped. "You devils… you're trying to stop me from doing my job."

"You're job?" Alex asked, glancing at Morgan.

"Yes! Those demons! I'm getting rid of them and you people just keep getting in the way!"

"Sir, we're not getting in the way." Morgan said, trying to calm him down.

"Yes, you are." he hissed. Then he aimed the gun. "And I have to get rid of you!"

Alex and Morgan paled, their hands resting on the butts of their guns.

Suddenly, the still air rang out with the sound of a gunshot.

**~/.\~**

**E/N: Yeah, I did that. I know, whatever. This story will likely not be too much longer. **

**I'm pretty swamped right now, so I'm just trying to slow down and focus on my stories. I've got three more planned - A sequel to "Across the Sky in Stars" and new Reid-torture fic (hello, it had to happen!) and possibly an AU fic. So I'm gonna focus on those.**

**PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW SO I KNOW IF ANYONE'S READING THIS! PLEASE!**


	6. Dysfunctional Family

**A/N: Thanks for all of reviews, favorites adds and story alert adds! Glad people are reading this!**

**Hmm… only a couple more chapters, I think. This idea was really just sparked by "New York" because it's a story that's been in my head for a while and "New York" was the aftermath of it…**

**WARNING: blood; language; mild violence; eventual Reid/OC MILD pairing**

**PLEASE REVIEW! Pretty, Pretty Please!**

**~/.\~**

Ch. 6: Dysfunctional Family

Everything in Morgan's brain seemed to slow down to frame-by-frame motion. He saw the unsub standing in front of them. Heard his words as if in a fogged daze. Saw, in the briefest, most horrifying instant, the man's finger tighten around the trigger. Heard the loud shot ring out in the distant. Saw Alex, standing next to him, tense and start to move out of the way as the bullet careened toward _her._ Had enough time to realize she would still be hit. Heard himself yell a loud, "No!" Felt his muscles tense. Then he was moving and everything sped up again.

He dove in front of Alex, knocking her to the side before she had enough time to draw her gun. Heard her scream something, though he didn't know what. And then pain replaced everything as he felt the bullet hit him. It was somewhere in his lower abdomen, he knew that much. He prayed that it had missed any vital organs. His vision was dim and black as he fell to ground, the world sliding in and out of focus.

Alex said his name, he thought. But then he heard another gun shot and running feet. Then more screaming. He wasn't sure who had fired. Who was running? Was it the unsub? Did the bastard managed to get away again? He didn't know. He only knew that it hurt. A lot. He'd been shot before, in the arm… it hadn't hurt this much. Was the pain a good thing? Maybe. It meant he was alive. For now. But what if it was just a horrible prolonging of death? What if he died? He didn't want to die. He wasn't ready for that yet.

Someone screamed again… Maybe it was Alex. He still didn't know. Then he felt pressure against his stomach and someone was talking to him. Reid? Hotch? Rossi? Alex? Who? He didn't know. He couldn't hear the words. He just heard a voice. He couldn't tell if it was a man's voice or a woman's voice. He just knew that it hurt and someone was talking to him.

He wondered if this was what death felt like. But that couldn't be. Hadn't death always been described as a slow and _peaceful_ process? Not a slow and painful one. It was supposed to be like falling asleep after a long day. This wasn't like falling asleep. This was like getting sucker punched with a jackhammer. Only more painful. This wasn't death. At least… he hoped it wasn't.

~/.\~

Alex heard the gun fire and realized it was aimed at her. She tensed and started to move out of the way, but knew she didn't have enough time. Then Morgan yelled "No!" and pushed her out of the way, standing where she had been standing just moments before.

She stared in shock as the man fell to ground, blood blooming out on his t-shirt. She reacted without thinking, her hand still resting on her gun. She whipped it out and aimed it, firing a short, then another. Watching the hooded man fall. She dropped her gun and ran toward him, kicking his gun out of his hand and reaching for his neck. Feeling for a pulse. There wasn't one.

She ran back to Morgan, pulling her phone out as she went, "SOMEONE HELP!" she screamed. "AGENT DOWN!" she dialed 911 and held the phone to her ear with her shoulder, pressing her hands to the bleeding wound on the man's torso. "Don't die on me, Agent Morgan… don't even think about. Not after this…" She shook her head and fought back tears. She was not weak. "SOMEONE HELP!" she screamed again.

She spoke hurriedly to the responder on the phone, hating the way her voice shook. She heard footsteps behind her and turned her head briefly, seeing Dr. Reid and Agent Hotchner running out, followed by Jack, Samantha and Agents Prentiss, Rossi and Jareau. She turned away again, her eyes focused on the bleeding man in front of her. God, if he died, it was her fault…

"What happened?" Hotchner asked, staring down at them with shock.

"Unsub," she said, nodding toward the dead man lying a few feet away on the pavement. "Shot him. I called an ambulance." she swallowed thickly… "He was… was trying to shoot me."

Prentiss and JJ looked away from Morgan's limp body. He looked so… dead. But none of the agents were willing to believe that he was. There was simply no way that he was dead. It was an utter impossibility.

~/.\~

Alex had insisted on riding with Morgan to the hospital. She felt incredibly guilty about what had happened to the man. She watched as he was wheeled away to surgery. Dr. Reid and Agent Hotchner were the first to come running in. "How is he?" Hotch asked, looking worriedly at her.

"He's in surgery," Alex said, still tying to scrub the blood from her hands with a rag the paramedics had given her. It wasn't exactly easy with a cast on her left wrist.

Hotch nodded and walked away, pulling out his phone to get an update about the unsub. Reid watched her struggling to scrub the blood away and took the rag gently, "Here, let me help," he said quietly.

She froze when his hand touched hers, her entire body going so rigid she was like a stone. She looked ready to protest, but he quickly wiped away most of the blood and walked to a water fountain to wet the rag before coming back and finishing the job. She blinked up at him, smiling slightly. "Thanks," she said, moving her hands from his grasp.

He nodded, studying her carefully before he spoke, "You know… it's not your fault."

She blinked, "What?" she asked, frowning.

"Morgan… he would've jumped in front of that bullet if it had been anyone. It's who he is." Reid explained.

She pursed her lips, nodding slowly, "I guess I understand that…" she trailed off. "But… that bullet was meant for me, Dr. Reid. And I hardly even know Agent Morgan." she shook head in aw. "If… if something happens…"

Reid cut her off, his own eyes glistening with tears. "It won't." he said. "He… Morgan's tough. He'll make it." he smiled slightly. "A little bullet won't make much difference. It didn't kill me…"

She looked surprised, "You've been shot?"

"Once… in the knee." Reid answered, shrugging. "Stomach wounds are generally more severe, but I know Morgan. He'll be ok. He has to be."

She nodded. "Well… you're the doctor." she said, grinning for a brief second.

"So are you," Reid pointed out, a tiny smile ghosting across his face, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. It was clear that despite what he said, he was still worried about his friend.

~/.\~

Alex sat in the waiting room next to Reid and JJ, her wondering when the doctor was going to come out. She wasn't exactly known for her patience and this waiting around was killing her slowly. Especially considering how guilty she already felt.

She listened to Agent Hotchner arguing on his cell phone with their technical analyst, Garcia and smiled a little. Apparently, Agent Morgan and this Garcia woman were close.

"No, Garcia he's fine." Hotch assured her. "He's in surgery. I'll call you as soon as he get's out… Yes, I know how serious gunshots can be… No, I think Agent Black did that for you… Yes, the unsub is dead… Michael Bradshaw… I promise… I'm not telling him that… Garcia, don't call me sweetheart…" he sighed heavily, "Yes, I'll talk to the doctor about letting him call you… I'm not begging anyone, Garcia… Fine."

He shook his head as he hung up the phone and put it in his suit pocket. "Garcia worried?" Rossi asked, raising a brow.

"Almost worse than when Reid get's hurt."

Reid frowned, "Hotch!" he protested.

"Reid, I'm sorry, but you get hurt a lot."

Reid frowned and sat back in his chair, "Not _that _often." he muttered.

Alex laughed, shaking her head. They really were like a strangely dysfunctional family… one that seemed to work pretty well, considering how different they all were.

~/.\~

The team had been sitting in the waiting room for hours waiting on Morgan's doctor to tell them how everything was. They'd found out that the unsub was a man named Michael Bradshaw, who had apparently suffered from delusions most of his life. He began to think that "vampires" were killing innocent people and infecting others with their curse and that led him to take up the role of a modern day Van Helsing.

He didn't have any living family to speak of, having lost both his parents in a car crash when he was ten. He'd been bounced around from foster home to foster home for years before he ran away and wasn't heard from after that. He was off the grid for years before he took a part time job and rented a lousy little apartment in Vegas… And then he'd snapped. His delusions became so powerful he became trapped in them and that's when the killing had started.

Alex sighed, drumming her finger against her arm impatiently. Ok, so now they knew why the man had killed. They'd stopped him from killing again. Great. That didn't erase the 171 victims - 169 of which were dead - that he had hurt. Sharon Northcote was still very shaken up about it, but healing well… And still, they had no word from Morgan's doctor.

Finally, a man wearing blue-green scrubs walked into the waiting room and looked around, asking, "Derek Morgan?"

**~/.\~**

**E/N: Well… anyone else glad the delusion sicko is dead? I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please let me know!**

**Don't forget to review!**


	7. Unique

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added this to favorites and alerts! I heart you guys!**

**This is going to be last chapter, I think… I told you guys it wouldn't be very long.**

**WARNING: language; mild violence; blood; Reid/OC MILD pairing**

**PLEASE REVIEW! Pretty, pretty please!**

**~/.\~**

Ch. 7: Unique

They all descended on the doctor immediately. As soon as he spoke the words "Derek Morgan" their hearts kicked into overdrive. The doctor blinked at the quick gathering and cleared his throat. "Um… are you _all_ family?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes," Hotch said, his dark eyes never wavering from the doctor's. Finally, the man nodded.

"Alright then…" he cleared his throat one more time. "He was shot in the upper abdomen, the bullet grazed part of his large intestine, but the tear was easy to repair and no major damage was done. It very narrowly missed the liver and diaphragm, which is remarkable lucky give the angle of the shot… The blood loss was minimal give the circumstance and our greatest concern is the pain. He should make a full recovery."

Alex let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and clenched her fist tight, surprised for a moment to feel another hand in hers. She glanced down and realized it was Dr. Reid's hand. She smiled and gently untangled their fingers. He looked down and stared for a moment, looking just as surprised as she was that they had been holding hands. He blushed, "Sorry," he whispered.

She just shrugged and looked away, an odd feeling nagging at her insides. She ignored it for the moment, still concerned about Agent Morgan. "Can we see him?" JJ asked, frowning at the doctor.

The man nodded slowly, "He's sedated… but you can see him. One at a time."

Hotch nodded and motioned for JJ to go ahead. He pulled out his phone and walked away, calling Garcia. Rossi frowned and stood there for a moment, then announced he was going to go to the cafeteria and find some coffee. Reid, Alex and Prentiss sat back down in the chairs in the waiting room.

Alex's fingers, forever moving, were tapping against her leg as she stared at the floor. "He's fine, now." Prentiss said. "Agent Black, this isn't your fault."

"Alex," Alex said.

"What?"

"Alex, please." she explained, looking up at the other woman.

Prentiss smiled, "Ok, Alex. This isn't your fault. And Morgan's fine… he's been through worse…"

Reid's lips quirked up, "A lot worse."

Prentiss rolled her eyes, "Not worse than you, though."

Reid frowned again, "I haven't been through anything that bad…"

Prentiss raised a brow, "You need me to go through your list of injuries alphabetically or chronologically?" she teased.

"Ha ha." Reid muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Well, it's the truth, Reid." Prentiss pointed out.

"Fine, fine." Reid muttered, "It's the truth. I'm a danger magnet. Happy now?"

Prentiss grinned, "Very." she said. "I'm gonna go check on Rossi… want any coffee?"

"No," Alex said shaking her head.

"I do!" Reid perked up at the mention of coffee.

Prentiss grinned, "Right, get some coffee for your sugar."

Reid frowned again and mumbled under his breath, Prentiss just laughed and walked away.

"Do you guys tease each other all the time, or do you actually do any work?" Alex asked, raising a brow at him.

Reid blinked, "We work." he said. "We came up with the profile for your killer, didn't we?"

She laughed, "I was just kidding, Dr. Reid." she said, smiling at him.

"Oh." Reid said, frowning at her for a moment. "You're a very strange woman."

She frowned, "I'm going to assume that's a compliment and move on." she said.

"Oh, I didn't mean it in a bad way," Reid said, sounding a little flustered. "I just meant… you're different…. I mean, you're sort of intimidating and a little scary… but, it seems like… that's maybe all just an act and…"

She raised a brow, "Dr. Reid, you're rambling again."

He blushed, "Sorry." he said, looking down. "What I meant was… I… don't think I've ever met anyone quite like you."

She smiled, "I could say the same thing about you." she said.

He pressed his lips together nodding. "That's a good thing, right?"

She laughed, "Depends on whether or not you consider being unique a good thing. It is to me…"

"Me too…" Reid said slowly.

"Then yes, it's a good thing."

~/.\~

Alex waited until all of Agent Morgan's team had a chance to talk to him before she decided to go in, early the next morning after she'd dropped Ryan off at school. She stood outside of his door for a long minute, wondering how this team of profilers had worn down her usual wall of stone so quickly. She decided it was because of how very unique their team was. Of how strangely interconnected they were to each other.

She took a breath to steady herself and pushed the door open, walking inside. Agent Morgan was sitting up on the bed, flipping through the channels on the TV mounted to the wall across from him. He didn't appear to have heard her come in. She cleared her throat and glanced at the television. "The Simpsons? Really?"

He looked up, startled. "Agent Black," he said, looking confused. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you actual were ok… incase you missed it, you got shot last night." she said, taking the seat next to his bed.

"Oh… well… thanks." he said, frowning at her. "I figured you'd go back to being your angry self and forget about the team, actually."

"Agent Morgan, you took a bullet for me. I might not always be the… warmest person, but I'm not going to overlook something like that. You saved my life, do you realized that?"

"It was nothing…" Morgan said, shrugging.

She smiled slightly, shaking her head. "I kind of think you actually believe that. But it wasn't just nothing. Not to me… I guess… maybe I'm not used to too many people willing doing something like that. Don't get me wrong, Sam and Jack are good friends and if it came down to it… maybe they would…"

"I think you're pushing yourself away from people too much, Agent." Morgan said, staring at her.

"What?"

"Well, you keep distancing yourself from the team, by acting the way you did. But when JJ told you she had a son, you made a connection because you're a mom too… and you opened up. But then you closed back up again. You're putting a wall up around yourself to keep people so you don't get hurt… why? Who hurt you?"

She blinked, "I… I think I'm starting to hate profilers." she said, a tiny smile quirking her lips.

"That doesn't really answer my question… Was it your husband? When he died?"

"No. And I don't think I have to answer your question anyway. It's not really any of your business." Alex said, fixing him with one of her intense stares.

"Of course it's not," Morgan said, shrugging. "I was just asking. …You know, it's ok to be vulnerable sometimes, Agent Black. It makes you human."

She pursed her lips together and didn't respond.

"It's ok to open yourself up to people too… especially when you need to talk to someone."

She stared at him for a long minute, "Thanks… but, I didn't exactly come here for a therapy session." She stood and tilted her head, sending her hair spilling over her shoulder. "I'm glad you're ok, Agent Morgan. Honestly… I don't really know how to thank you for taking that bullet. I guess you realized I'm not exactly good with people… But still, I guess thank you is about as good as I can do right now."

Morgan shrugged, "How 'bout you promise to open up and trust someone… then we'll call it even."

She thought about it for a minute and nodded, "I can do that." she said, smiling. "In fact… I know just the person to trust…" she turned and started to walk out of the room.

"Who?" Morgan asked, frowning.

She grinned, "Someone… unique." she said, leaving Morgan sitting on the bed looking completely confused again.

~/.\~

Reid fidgeted with his messenger bag and stepped off of the elevator, on his way to Morgan's hospital room when someone walked right into him and almost knocked him down. "Sorry," he mumbled, helping her straighten up. "Oh… Agent Black…" he stuttered. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Well, I had to see how Agent Morgan is doing." she explained. Then she paused, "Dr. Reid, can I ask you something?"

He frowned, "What?"

"Earlier, you said you thought that… when I was acting … harsh, I suppose… that you thought it was all an act, why did you say that?" she asked, studying his face.

"I… you seem to be struggling with staying as… harsh… as you act sometimes…" he said, frowning.

She nodded, "What if… what if I told you that you're probably right? What would you say?"

He blinked, "Um… I don't really…"

She waved her hand, "Dr. Reid… I … I'm going to tell you something, only because I kind of like you … and because you _are _right. For the most part, it's an act. I don't want people to get close to me because…" she paused, searching for the right words. "Because people can hurt you easily. And I've been hurt enough… I taught myself a long time ago to be strong… so strong I guess I can seem like a total bitch sometimes…"

She paused again, pursing her lips. "I honestly don't even know why I'm telling you this, but I promise I would trust someone and… you seem like a very trustworthy person." she took a deep breath. "I don't like getting hurt. Honestly, I'm terrified of it. So I act the way I do to push people away so that they don't get close enough to hurt me… I don't know how, but you and your team seems to have gotten passed that. Not completely, but enough to make me think a little bit…"

Reid frowned and shifted his bag on his shoulder, "Why are you afraid of getting hurt?" he asked.

She thought about it before she answered, "Because… I think I'm getting a little too personal here, but because I grew up in a world where trust didn't exist. Because whenever I trusted someone, they threw it back in my face. Whenever I shared a secret, they wouldn't believe me. Because I could only ever really rely on myself… Because the people I cared about left…" she took a deep breath and looked slightly exhausted. "I think… that's enough trusting for me right now."

Reid smiled, shuffling awkwardly. "You know… you're not the only one who has those feelings. Trusting people isn't easy for a lot of people… It does hurt when the people who say they care just walk away… It's hard to trust anyone after that…"

She studied his face. "You know, I wasn't kidding, before. When I said I liked you." she paused and smiled slightly, "I … I think maybe, if you wanted to… maybe you could help me get rid of the wall I've built up."

He blushed a little and smiled, nodding. "Maybe." he said.

She dug around in her bag for a minute and pulled out a scrap of paper, scribbled something down and pressed it into his hand. "If you decide you want to… call me." she said, closing his fingers around the paper and walking away.

Reid stared after her for a minute and then opened his hand, looking down at the paper. Her name had been scrawled in elegant handwriting and underneath was a phone number. He looked back up at her retreating form as she got onto the elevator and smiled, putting the paper in his pocket and wondering how long he should wait before he called her.

END

**~/.\~**

**E/N: Yes, that's the end. I'm debating about whether or not I should write a sequel. It's possible… Of course, if you want to know a little bit about what happens, read "New York" it a quick little addendum to this that I wrote a few months ago…**

**Hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Don't forget to review! And tell me if you guys want a sequel or not (though it may take some time to write, if you guys want one, I'm more than willing to write it!)**


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